@killzone_kid is correct, and in this particular case you'll be surprised to see how easy it is.
So your pick, 2D arrays or pointers. Either will advance your essential knowledge and experience, hard to say which would be better learnt first.
But please don't avoid pointers dgomatically, they just a bit hard until they are easy, or easier, and are widely used, so at the very least you should have a reading knowledge of them.
a7